The Big Banyan Tree

The Big Banyan Tree, as the name indicates, is a gigantic banyan tree that is a famous sightseeing attraction in Bangalore. The exact location of the tree is in the village of Ramohalli, which is situated about 28 kilometers away from the city of Bangalore.

This aged Banyan tree is also known as Dodda Alada Mara in Kannada language. The giant tree is aged more than 400 years and covers an area of 3 acres. The crown circumference of the tree is more than 250 meters.

The Fourth Largest Banyan Tree In India

This tree is ranked fourth among the largest banyan tree in the country, taking its position behind the ones in Andhra Pradesh, Kolkata and Chennai. The interesting fact to note is that the soil under the tree canopy has remained constant throughout all these years. The tree canopy widens and adds a few feet every year. At present the ancient tree has more than one thousand aerial roots.

It is not known exactly who planted the tree in the sleepy village, but it is widely believed that the Big Banyan Treeis a silent witness to the city’s amazing growth and development. Though the tree was not given much importance initially, but now it has assumed the level of a heritage.

The Big Banyan Tree –A Popular Picnic Spot

The tree is fenced from all sides. The hanging roots of the tree make for an interesting labyrinth under the cool shade of the widespread branches and leaves. The Savanadurga hill and the backwaters of the Manchanabele reservoir offer a beautiful background to the tree. The scenic beauty of the place and the cool atmosphere provided by the tree has made the place popular as a picnic spot.

The banyan tree is also a very intriguing subject for the botany students and they often flock under it for their surveys and experiments and spend hours studying various aspects of the natural wonder.

The primary root of the tree gave in to natural illness and hence, it appears as a number of trees at present. Though it was neglected earlier, but due to its increasing popularity, it was placed under the supervision of the horticulture department. Since then the department has undertaken various initiatives to protect the tree and conserve its roots. The department has added to the natural beauty of the place by building beautiful walkways under the cool shade of the tree and developing shadow gardens that are akin to the Japanese gardens.

The local people of the place believe that the Big Banyan Treeis endowed with divine power. The tree is considered to be a symbol of trinity, where the roots represent Lord Brahma, the stems and the bark represent Lord Vishnu and the branches represent Lord Shiva. There is also a Shiva temple near the tree.

The tree is visited by hundreds of tourists who simply love to walk through the maze of the hanging roots. Birds of several kinds make the tree their sweet abode.

The sprawling Big Banyan Treeis a small forest by itself. The most interesting thing about the tree is that it attracts studious researchers, carefree tourists and spiritually inclined minds with equal intensity and offers everyone a relaxing time under its vast spread.